New Hampshire Closes 20 Acres of Great Bay to Shellfishing for Five-Year Oyster Restoration

New Hampshire Fish and Game is closing 20 acres of Great Bay to shellfish harvest starting Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, to support oyster reef restoration with The Nature Conservancy and the University of New Hampshire. The closure runs through Oct. 31, 2031.

The area is made up of two restoration sites: about 15 acres near Nannie Island and about 5 acres near Woodman Point. Only those mapped restoration plots are closed. The rest of the Nannie Island oyster reef and the Woodman Point reef stay open to recreational oyster harvesters.

The department says the five-year window gives the newly built reef the best chance to take hold and grow the oyster population there. Details are on its shellfishing page at wildlife.nh.gov.

Photo: Map of the Great Bay oyster restoration closure areas. Image via New Hampshire Fish and Game.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: NH Fish and Game: Closure of Oyster Reef Restoration Sites near Nannie Island (Oct. 29, 2026).